Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
Finally, high-speed networks, such as Fast Ethernet, AnyLan, fiber
distributed data interface (FDDI), distributed queue dual bus (DQDB),
and frame relay, are also changing the communication layer where DBs are
situated.
In summary, enterprises demand technological changes because of
special needs. In relation to their organizational structure, the need for open
organizations requires distributed, federated, and Web DBMSs; the need for
strategic information gives rise to data warehouse and OLAP technologies,
and the increasing need for data requires very large DBs.
1.3.3
Nontraditional Applications
First-generation DB products provided solutions to administrative problems
(personnel management, seat reservations, etc.), but they were inadequate
for other applications that dealt with unexpected queries (such as decision
support systems demand), due to the lack of data/application independence,
low-level interfaces, navigational data languages not oriented to final users,
and so on.
That changed with the arrival of relational products, and the applica-
tion of DBs in different areas grew considerably. However, there are impor-
tant cultural, scientific, and industrial areas where DB technology is hardly
represented because of the special requirements of those kinds of applications
(very large volumes of data, complex data types, triggers and alerts for man-
agement, security concerns, management of temporal and spatial data, com-
plex and long transactions, etc.). The following are some of the most
important
nontraditional
applications
that
DB
technology
has
hardly
embraced.
Computer-aided software/system engineering (CASE). CASE requires
managing information sets associated with all the IS life cycle: plan-
ning, analysis, design, programming, maintenance, and so on. To
meet those requirements, DBMSs must provide version control,
triggers, matrix and diagram storage, and so on.
·
Computer-aided design (CAD)/computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)/
computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM). CAD/CAM/CIM requires
the introduction of alerters, procedures, and triggers in DBMSs to
manage all the data relative to the different stages of the production
operation.
·
